1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of this invention relate generally to air gaps, and more particularly to air gaps configured with deodorizers.
2. Description of Related Art
Most plumbing codes specify that an anti-siphon device or air gap be provided to vent waste water discharge from household primary waste water sources such as dishwashers and the like. The air gap includes a vent chamber or space through which the waste water passes. This space is vented to atmosphere to prevent the establishment of a vacuum that could result in back siphoning of the contaminated dishwasher water back into the household water supply system. As is now known in the art, “single inlet” air gaps for venting the discharge from a dishwasher, for example, and “dual inlet” air gaps for venting the discharge from either a “two drawer” dishwasher or a standard dishwasher and another device such as a reverse osmosis (“RO”) system, for example, are often employed.
Many prior art “single inlet” air gaps are capable of venting the waste water discharge from a single primary source such as a dishwasher or the like. One such single inlet air gap has come into such widespread use that it has become more or less standard in the trade. The air gap body is molded or otherwise formed of plastic material into a unitary or one-piece structure which includes a generally central leg constituting an outlet conduit or port that discharges all of the waste water coming from the air gap body into a household drain line for emptying into the sewer. The air gap body also includes a laterally divergent leg constituting a single inlet conduit or port through which waste water enters the air gap body.
The inlet port of the single inlet air gap body is clamped or otherwise attached to a dishwasher hose to receive the dishwasher waste flow and pass it to the air gap body. The discharge port of the air gap body empties all waste from the air gap body to a sewer pipe or the like via a household garbage disposer, if there is one, or directly to a household drain line connected to the sewer pipe.
Waste water entering through the inlet port from a dishwasher or from an RO drain line passes upwardly through the air gap body, where a flow diverter at the top of the body reverses the direction of waste flow downwardly through a space or spaces located interiorly of the air gap body for venting to the atmosphere. Such venting prevents development of a vacuum that might cause suction or back siphoning of the contaminated dishwasher water back into the household water supply system or the RO unit.
At least Applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,176,165, 5,305,778, 5,592,966, 5,713,385, 5,915,406, and 6,453,931 are representative of exemplary “single inlet” air gaps that may be employed in conjunction with the present invention.
By comparison, “dual inlet” air gaps, though otherwise much like their “single inlet” counterparts in general construction and use, include multiple inlets for a pair of dishwashers or dishwasher drawers and for an RO unit. All three of these inlets can be vented using an air gap having a pair of inlet ports for receiving multiple flows of waste water. At least Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,863 is representative of exemplary “dual inlet” air gaps that may be employed in conjunction with the present invention, which air gaps are characterized by waste flow and venting passages whose rates of flow and dimensions are very close to those of the single inlet air gap presently in wide use, though this is not required and can vary depending on the application.
In such dual inlet air gaps, generally, the two or more inlet ports preferably each have an inner diameter essentially comparable to that of a single inlet air gap so that each of the inlet ports can handle the waste flow from one of the dishwasher drawers or from multiple other such producers of wastewater discharge. The dual inlet air gap is also typically configured to fit through the same standard sink opening that is provided for a single inlet air gap, to use the same hose fittings and other connections common to a single inlet air gap, and to adjust the venting spaces and passages to vent both discharges from the dual inlet air gap at a rate comparable to the specifications for a single inlet air gap. Specifically, the upper cap portion and cap vent or cover of such dual inlet air gaps have an overall size and configuration substantially equivalent to that of the standard single inlet air gaps.
It is known in the art that by virtue of the function of drainage air gaps, especially dishwasher air gaps, there frequently is an unpleasant odor that emanates from the cap vent opening(s). This odor likely is caused by one or more contributors: contaminated wastewater that is in the process of being discharged and so passes through the air gap body; by such wastewater lingering along surfaces of the air gap interior; by some bacterial growth in the warm and moist cap interior; or merely by virtue of the necessary exposure and venting of the wastewater discharge system and piping to the atmosphere in order for the air gap to perform as designed.
There is a need in the art for an air gap, whether single inlet, dual inlet, or some other configuration now known or later developed, capable of removing, disguising, offsetting or otherwise reducing or eliminating the unpleasant odors known to emanate from air gaps, and dishwasher air gaps in particular, during use, in the periods of a day or more between uses, and after use. Insofar as Applicant is aware, no such air gap is presently available. Aspects of the present invention fulfill these needs and provide further related advantages as described in the following summary.